Ricardo Bofill’s Epic Home Within an Old Cement Factory in Spain.

There are houses, and then there’s Ricardo Bofill’s house – an abandoned cement factory of epic proportions on the outskirts of Barcelona, Spain. A grandiose monument to industrial architecture in the Catalonian town of Sant Just Desvern, La Fabrica is a poetic and personal space that redefines the notion of the conventional home. Founded in 1973, Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura (RBTA) is one of Spain’s most inventive firms, with a long list of work that spans the globe – from Les Halles and the Christian Dior headquarters in Paris, to the JP Morgan’s skyscraper in Chicago and the Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing.

Photo by Richard Powers.

Photo by Richard Powers.

Photo by Richard Powers.

Photo by Richard Powers.

Photo by Richard Powers.

The factory, abandoned and partially in ruins – with stairs that climbed up to nowhere, pieces of iron hanging in the air and huge empty spaces. Now a multi-purpose facility with an office, library residence, exhibition space and more, this is an incredibly unique property with an equally dramatic landscape and views of the beautiful Barcelona. “The factory is a magic place which strange atmosphere is difficult to be perceived by a profane eye. I like the life to be perfectly programmed here, ritualised, in total contrast with my turbulent nomad life.” – Ricardo Bofill.

There is a fabulous interview over on NOWNESS with Mr Bofill, where he talks about his spectacular house. Go check it out. NOW(ness)!

[Images courtesy of Ricardo Bofill. Photography by Richard Powers as noted.]